How Do I Get a Replacement NHS Exemption Card?

Obtain a replacement NHS exemption card by calling or emailing the NHS Business Services Authority. Provide the office with full name, address and date of birth. A replacement certificate is then sent in the post.

The NHS exemption card is required to receive healthcare services for free in Britain that otherwise require a small contribution. This includes dental care; prescription charges; wigs and fabric supports; eyesight tests; help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses; and transport to some hospital appointments. In the absence of a card, those eligible for free healthcare may find they have to pay for such services until it is found again. Those who do not have a card but are eligible for free care because they claim tax credit can present their official Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, or HMRC, tax credit certificate to receive the care. Any charges incurred are reimbursed until a new card or HMRC certificate arrives, providing the claimant requests the money within three months of paying for treatment.

NHS exemption cards and certificates are available to those on a low income or with certain medical conditions. If this is the case, the NHS Business Services Authority automatically sends a new card each year to the address on the tax credit claimant's form. Those eligible due to medical conditions usually suffer with a long-term illness or disability, such as diabetes, myasthenia gravis or epilepsy.